Improvement in water-deters



HENRY F.V WHEELER.

Water Meter.

No. 123,530, l Patented Feb. 6,1872.

.I d' g Z I I I l 7M VII/Ill/,f l/ll/ III/IL C j f l A J f A l E i e El 5 M a Q l I l Ta' 2155.5 g 4 `Wc1sses- 1 7? Ven/2n @fi/21; Wwf M1@ vHENRY F. WHEELER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-METERS.

Specific-ation forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,530, (lated February 6, 187:2.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. WHEELER, of Boston, in the county of Suli'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved later-Meter; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies and forms part of this specification, is a description of my invention suiiicient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

Figure l of the drawing shows, in vertical longitudinal section, a meter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows the saine in cross-vertical section, the sectional plane of each figure being denoted by a vertical dotted line on the other ligure. In Fig. 3 the piston of my improved meter is shown in plan, and in Fig. 4 in side elevation.

a is the cylinder, which is cast with waterpussa ges b and c, located at the middle ot' the length ofthe cylinder and extending cach from a horizontal nozzle one-quarterV around the cylinder, the inlet passageturning downward, and the outlet passage turning upward. The ends of the cylinder are closed by heads, and a long piston1 d, is fitted carefully to the bore of the cylinder. This piston is peculiar in that it has a valve-case formed within it which communi- Cates upward with the exhaust-passage c, and downward with the inlet passage b. Through said case are cut on either side elongated ports, each of which serves alternately to permit flow of fluid into and out of the space with which it communicates between the piston and the cylinder-head. Within said valve-case is placed a valve made up of two heads, e e, united by a connecting diaphragm, f, the heads and diaphragm being nicely turned to fit the smoothlybored cylindrical valve-case in the piston, said diaphragm serving the purpose of a shiftingvalve controlling the passage of the fluid through the port-s with which it operates, and dividing the space in which ,it is located into inlet and outlet passages, the lower division being the inlet, and the upper division the outlet, and the heads serving as trunnions on which thevalveis guided and kept in place. The

open ends of the valve-case beyond the valveheads are closed by removable heads g g. The inlet and outlet passages b and c are extended in the direction of the length of the cylinder, so that the inlet and outlet passages in the piston shall always be in communication with the passages b and c in any and all positions of the piston. To the valve-diaphragm j' is connected a weight, h, in such a manner that when the weight is moved from a vertical position,it will tip or fall over one side or the other, so as to shift the position of the valve with reference to the ports it controls. For example, referto Fig. l, where the weight h is seen tipped to the left. lt will be evidentthat, with the water flowing through inlet b, it must pass into the space between the right-hand end of the piston and the right-hand head ofthe cylinder, which will result in moving the piston to the left. Such movement of the piston brings weight h into c contact with the metal ot' the cylinder, and then the valve partly shifts position by such movement of the piston, the weight gradually approaching the upright position and presently passing it to the right, when it gravitates and falls quickly to the right causingthe valve to move suddenly, so as to open communication from the inlet with the space between the lefthand head of the cylinder andthe left-hand end of the piston; and so also as to open communication with the outlet from the space be- Y tween the right-hand cylinder-head and the ri ght-hand end of the piston. It will be obvious, under such conditions,thatthewaterpassing into the left-hand space in the cylinder will force the piston to thevright hand, causing displacement of water in the right-hand ends of the cylinder, which water will iiow out of the apparatus through passage c.

The arrangement of the valve-ports in the valve-case in the piston, and the weight h should be such that when the weight is vertical the ports should be open enough to allow such further iiow of water as will continue to advance the piston in the same direction which caused the weight to rise froinits inclinedto a vertical position, to the extent suicient to cause the weight to pass its vertical position andto fall in the opposite inclined direction. It is this falling which first suddenly cuts oft' the inlet and outlet flow of the waterfas the valve passes the ports, and consequently brings the piston to a rest, and next and immediately opens the ports, reversing their communication with the inlet and outlet passages and reversing the movement ofthe piston. In practice adjustable screws may be arranged in the weight-stem or in the outlet-passage to adjust and limit the amount of angular movement of the Weight in falling. Also, in practice, to keep the piston from turning in the cylinder, which would cause the Weight to bind in the passage c, I groove either the cylinder or the pist-on, a length slightly greaterthan the length of the piston-stroke, and tix a pin in thc ungrooved part which tits easily in the groove. Projections from the cylinderheads are made of such length that the piston abuts against them at the instant the falling Weight causes the valve to close theports, and thus the strokes of the piston are made constant in length. Directly over the tip-Weight I make an opening through the cylinder, for convenience in securing the Weight to the valve and to afford facility for any adjustment needed. Said opening is, of course, to be closed before putting the machine in operation. Vlt is at said location that I propose to set the clock-Work or indicator which registers' the number of strokes of the piston or the quantity of tluid displaced by such strokes. Such mechanism may be operated by the movement of the piston in any of severa-l Ways now Well known and practiced in water-meter constructions. A

The apparatus may be converted into a motive-engine by attaching a piston-rod to the piston, carrying it through a stuiiing-box in the cylinder-head and connecting said rod to other mechanismin any known way.

I have described the inlet and outlet passage as passing from horizontal nozzles, each onequarter around the cylinder. This, however, is a mere convenience forl attachment of pipes, it also leaving a clear space at the top for location of an indicator, and room for feet or foundation on which the apparatus can stand conveniently. The inlet and outlet pipes might easily be directly connected with the cylinder casting, in a vertical direction, and the horizontalnozzles and the quadrant passages therefrom Would then be dispensed with.

The tipping Weight instead of being rigidly i fixed to the valve, might be pivoted or hinged thereunto, and then the position of the valve Would not be changed during the time while the piston in moving brought the inclined Weight to a vertical position but as soon asv By reference to Fig. l it will be seen that the projections from the cylinder-heads which limit the stroke of the piston, are so made as not to check the ilow of Waterinto either space between the piston and the heads against which the piston strikes.

I do not claim the arrangement of the ports and valve-openings; nor a ported valve-case having endwise movements and carrying a cylinder placed transversely within or across it.

I claim- A fluid-meter or engine, provided with a piston, constructed with a ported valve-case containing' a rocking valve arranged to be operated by the movement of a4 tipping weight set in motion by the movements ofthe piston, substantially as described.

HENRY F. WHEELER Witnesses:

J. B. CROSBY, WV. BRADFORD. 

